"Roar!!!"

The frenzied Zombie let out a roar and lunged at Bai Ling moments later—its grotesque face and gaping, blood-stained maw far more terrifying than any movie vampire.

Bai Ling was completely unprepared. How could she handle such a brutal Zombie? In a split second, she was knocked flat on the ground.

"Ahh! No!"

Screaming, Bai Ling grabbed the Zombie’s throat. It snapped its jaws like a rabid dog, each bite bringing its teeth closer to her face.

The male Zombie’s strength was horrifying. Even with her body’s slight enhancements, Bai Ling couldn’t resist. Her jacket slipped off. Her legs were forced apart. Disheveled strands of hair clung to her cheeks. Fear flashed in her eyes.

Desperate, she jammed her knee against the Zombie’s chest, barely stopping it from pinning her down for the kill.

"What the hell! How am I supposed to fight this?!"

Outmatched in strength, Bai Ling shouted in frustration.

But the cry drew more Zombies. Hearing her, they turned red-eyed toward her like starving wolves spotting prey.

*Damn, it’s over… I’m dead…*

Feeling monsters closing in, a tear of despair slid down Bai Ling’s cheek.

*If only I’d listened to Duan Heng… If only I hadn’t come for fried chicken…*

*But honestly, at the end of the day…*

"Why is my power so damn useless?! Anyone! Please, save me!!!"

A shrill scream echoed from the restaurant. Bai Ling knew shouting was pointless, but she had to vent her anger at the system before dying.

Her arms weakened. The Zombie’s weight pressed down. Its bloody maw hovered two centimeters from her neck… Bai Ling’s mind even imagined the pain of being devoured.

But!

Just as the crisis peaked—when Bai Ling’s neck might snap any second—

Thud———

A heavy thud cut through the air. The Zombie crushing her flew backward!

Still dazed and struggling, Bai Ling saw a powerful figure swing a steel pipe. He smashed the heads of every Zombie near them in the restaurant. Incredibly strong!

*What the?! What’s happening?!*

Snapping to her senses, Bai Ling scrambled up. Halfway up, a hand pulled her gently…

But when she saw the man’s face, her eyes widened in disbelief.

"D-Duan Heng? You actually found me?!"

Yes.

The tall, black-clad figure before her—cold-faced, agile, over six feet—was her roommate, Duan Heng.

Bai Ling hadn’t recognized him at first. In the half-month since classes stopped, he’d changed drastically! His muscles had bulked up. His face looked weathered. Only calm determination shone in his eyes…

Yet, strangely, a trace of tenderness lingered in his gaze at her.

"How did you know I was here?"

Bai Ling asked, bewildered, as he pulled her up. Duan Heng didn’t answer. He just yanked her arm, dragging her out of the restaurant.

"Hey! What—ow, that hurts…"

His roughness annoyed her. But since he’d just saved her life, she obediently followed him to a waiting modified car—a vehicle armored head-to-toe in steel plates. The thick windows looked bulletproof.

Duan Heng stayed silent. After Bai Ling got in, he casually smashed a pipe into a Zombie approaching him.

Only when both were inside did Duan Heng sigh, gripping the wheel. He turned, shooting her a reproachful look.

"You said you wanted KFC. So I came here to find you."

"Uh…"

Bai Ling looked away, guilt flashing across her face.

Duan Heng didn’t press it. Starting the car, he explained calmly.

"I told you the Apocalypse was coming. You never believed me. I was moving the last supplies to the safehouse—that’s why I’m late… Are you hurt?"

"Uh, no…"

Bai Ling looked away again, guiltier this time.

She felt stupid for mocking him as crazy earlier. She even wanted to vanish into the ground.

But Duan Heng didn’t rub it in. He drove silently, focused on plowing through Zombies on the road…

…

The safehouse wasn’t far—just ten minutes by car. Since Zombies had only just mutated, many living humans still drew their attention. The drive was smooth enough?

Why no traffic jams for Duan Heng?

He drove straight onto the sidewalk! Acting like the road was his personal property!

Thud—

Thud—

Thud———

Zombie after Zombie flew off the hood. The windshield shifted from clean glass to a bloody, muddy mess.

At first, Bai Ling found the gore sickening. But after Duan Heng ran down over a dozen Zombies without flinching, she grew numb. She couldn’t even be bothered to complain…

Then, Bai Ling did something bizarre.

*Wait… am I really a girl now?*

Thinking this, she lifted her shirt to peek at her chest.

The car swerved instantly, nearly crashing into a traffic light!

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Bai Ling shrieked, almost tumbling from her seat. Duan Heng’s forehead glistened with a slight sheen of sweat. He shot her an exasperated glare.

"What are *you* doing? What were you looking at?"

"None of your business!"

Bai Ling snapped back, voice full of resentment. Her face flushed red.

"Can’t you see what I’ve become? I was just checking my body! Wait—how did you recognize me so fast? My hair’s this long now."

She tilted her head, suspicion in her eyes.

Duan Heng stayed calm. His expression serene, he replied smoothly.

"I told you about my prophetic dream. I saw the Apocalypse coming—and your future self. Now it’s all real. Yep, that’s it."

"Huh? Really? Still feels weird…"

Bai Ling rubbed her chin, puzzled. Her delicate brows furrowed in a cute, thoughtful frown.

But she quickly gave up. Patting Duan Heng’s shoulder, she asked:

"Fine, I’ll believe you! Since your dream’s real, I’ll ride your coattails to dominate the Apocalypse! But seriously—what’s your power? I don’t even know."

"Mine?"

Thud———

Another Zombie flew off the hood. Duan Heng remained eerily calm, as if used to this.

"My powers? Physical enhancement, rapid regeneration, energy empowerment… That steel pipe never broke because I imbued it with energy."

He demonstrated. A faint, translucent purple barrier shimmered around his body—like a magic shield from a fantasy world.

Bai Ling’s eyes widened in outrage.

"Wait—why do you have *three* skills?! And I only have one?!"